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Organized by genre–practical for college and career

Accessible to students and flexible for instructors, Writing Today, Third Edition introduces students to the conventions of writing memoirs, profiles, literary analyses, arguments, research papers, and more. Each chapter features a step-by-step process for composing within a given genre, as well as exemplary student and professional readings to promote rhetorical knowledge and critical analysis. The 42 short chapters, the chunked writing style, and visual instruction work to ensure that students will transfer the skills and strategies practiced in your class to their other classes, their lives, and their careers. From its graphic “Quick Start Guides” to its “Write This” prompts, Writing Today challenges students to extend the boundaries of their writing abilities as they practice composing for the real world.

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June Johnson is an associate professor of English and Director of Writing Studies at Seattle University. She did her undergraduate work at Stanford University and also holds an M.A. in Education from Stanford and an M.A. in English from Mills College. After chairing the English department of a preparatory school in Los Angeles and working as a development editor in educational publishing in New Jersey, she earned her Ph.D. from the University of Washington. At Seattle University, she teaches sections of and coordinates the teaching of first-year academic writing seminars as well as teaches upper division courses in advanced argument and composition theory. Her research areas include global studies, reflective writing, first-year composition, teaching writing for transfer, argumentation, and Rogerian communication, subjects on which she conducts workshops at Seattle University and at institutions around the country. She is the co-author (with John Bean) of the The Allyn and Bacon Guide to Writing, a text known for its foundation in writing-across-the-curriculum pedagogy and its useful introduction to academic writing. She is the author of Global Issues, Local Arguments, 3rd edition (Pearson, 2014), an argument reader and rhetoric with a civic literacy focus that provides a cross-curricular introduction to global problems.

NOTE: Both Brief and Comprehensive Tables of Contents follow.

BRIEF TABLE OF CONTENTSPART 1: GETTING STARTED

1. Writing and Genres

2. Topic, Angle, Purpose

3. Readers, Contexts, and Rhetorical Situations

4. Reading Critically

PART 2: USING GENRES TO EXPRESS IDEAS

5. Memoirs

6. Profiles

7. Reviews8. Literary Analyses

9. Rhetorical Analyses

10. Commentaries

11. Arguments

12. Proposals

13. Analytical Reports

14. Research Papers

PART 3: DEVELOPING A WRITING PROCESS

15. Inventing Ideas and Prewriting

16. Organizing and Drafting

17. Choosing A Style

18. Designing

19. Revising and Editing

PART 4: STRATEGIES FOR SHAPING IDEAS

20. Developing Paragraphs and Sections

21. Using Basic Rhetorical Patterns

22. Using Argumentative Strategies

23. Collaborating and Peer Response

PART 5: DOING RESEARCH

24. Starting Research

25. Finding Sources and Collecting Evidence

26. Citing, Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing Sources

27. Using MLA Style

28. Using APA Style

PART 6: GETTING YOUR IDEAS OUT THERE

29. Writing with Social Networking

30. Creating a Portfolio

31. Succeeding on Written Exams and Assessment

32. Presenting Your Work

PART 7: ANTHOLOGY OF READINGS

33. Memoirs 34. Profiles

35. Reviews

36. Literary Analyses

37. Rhetorical Analysis

38. Commentaries

39. Arguments

40. Proposals

41. Reports

42. Research Papers

PART 8: HANDBOOK

1. Sentences

2. Verbs

3. Pronouns

4. Style

5. Punctuation, Mechanics, and Spelling

Appendix: Readings Arranged by Theme

Credits

Index

COMPREHENSIVE TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART 1: GETTING STARTED

1. Writing and Genres

What Are Genres?

Using Genres to Write Successfully

Writing with Genres

Genres Are Flexible

Genres Are Adaptable to Various Situations

Genres Evolve to Suit Various Fields

Genres Shape Situations and Readers

Genres Can Be Played With

Genres in Movies

Genres and the Writing Process

Using a Writing Process

Using Genres as a Guiding Concept

Transfer: Using Genres in College and in Your Career

Quick Start Guide

Talk About This

Try This Out

Write This

2. Topic, Angle, Purpose

Topic: What Am I Writing About?

Angle: What Is New About the Topic?

What Has Changed to Make This Topic Interesting Right Now?

What Unique Experiences, Expertise, or Knowledge Do I Have About This Topic?

Purpose: What Should I Accomplish?

Thesis Statement (Main Claim)

Informative Thesis

Argumentative Thesis

Question or Open-Ended Thesis

Implied Thesis

Choosing the Appropriate Genre

3. Readers, Contexts, and Rhetorical Situations

Profiling Readers

A Brief Reader Profile

Who Are My Readers?

What Are Their Expectations?

Where Will They Be Reading?

When Will They Be Reading?

Why Will They Be Reading?

How Will They Be Reading?

An Extended Reader Profile

What Are Their Needs?

What Are Their Values?

Personal Values

Customs of Their Society

Cultural Values

What Is Their Attitude Toward You and the Issue?

Analyzing the Context

Medium

Paper Documents

Electronic Documents

Public Presentations

Podcasts or Videos

Social and Political Influences

Social Trends

Economic Trends

Political Trends

Genres and the Rhetorical Situation

Angles

Purpose

Readers

Contexts

4. Reading Critically

Looking Through and Looking At a Text

Reading Critically: Seven Strategies

Strategy 1: Preview the Text

Strategy 2: Play the Believing and Doubting Game

Strategy 3: Annotate the Text

Strategy 4: Analyze the Proofs in the Text

Strategy 5: Contextualize the Text

Strategy 6: Analyze Your Own Assumptions and Beliefs

Strategy 7: Respond to the Text

Using Critical Reading to Strengthen Your Writing

Responding to a Text: Evaluating What Others Have Written

Responding with a Text’s Positions, Terms, and Ideas: Using What Others Have Written

PART 2: USING GENRES TO EXPRESS IDEAS

5. Memoirs

At-A-Glance: Memoirs

One Student’s Work: Helen Sanderson, “Diving In”

Inventing Your Memoir’s Content

Inquiring: Finding an Interesting Topic

Inquiring: Finding Out What You Already Know

Make a Map of the Scene

Record Your Story as a Podcast or Video

Storyboard the Event

Do Some Role Playing

Researching: Finding Out What Others Know

Online Sources

Print Sources

Empirical Sources

Organizing and Drafting Your Memoir

Setting the Scene in Rich Detail

The People

The Scenes

Dialogue

Main Point or Thesis

Describing the Complication

The Event

The Complication

The Immediate Reaction

Evaluating and Resolving the Complication

The Evaluation

The Resolution

Concluding with a Point–An Implied Thesis

Choosing an Appropriate Style

Evoking an Appropriate Tone or Voice

Using Dialogue

Use Dialogue to Move the Story Forward

Write the Way Your Characters Speak

Trim the Extra Words

Identify Who Is Talking

Create Unique Voices for Characters

Designing Your Memoir

Choose the Medium

Add Visuals, Especially Photos

Find a Place to Publish

Revising and Editing Your Memoir

Make Your Title Enticing

Craft the Perfect Lead

Reevaluate the Details and Cut the Fat

Microgenre: The Literacy Narrative

Frederick Douglass, “Learning to Read and Write”

Quick Start Guide

Readings

Jean Whatley, “My Ex Went to Prison for Sex Crimes”

Thaddeus Gunn, “Slapstick”

Talk About This

Try This Out

Explore This

Write This

6. Profiles

At-A-Glance: Profiles

One Student’s Work: Katie Koch, “Brother, Life Coach, Friend”

Inventing Your Profile’s Content

Inquiring: Finding Out What You Already Know

Answer the Five-W and How Questions

Use Cubing

Researching: Finding Out What Others Know

Online Sources

Print Sources

Empirical Sources

Interviewing

Shadowing

Organizing and Drafting Your Profile

The Introduction

Identify Your Topic and Purpose

State Your Main Point or Thesis

The Body

Describe Your Subject

Offer Background on the Subject

Use Anecdotes to Tell Stories

Reveal Important Information Through Dialogue or Quotes

The Conclusion

Choosing an Appropriate Style

Change the Pace

Choose Words That Set a Specific Tone

Get Into Character

Designing Your Profile

Use Headings

Add Photographs

Include Pull Quotes or Breakouts

Revising and Editing Your Profile

Trim the Details That Do Not Advance Your Point

Rethink the Organization

Proofread

Microgenre: The Bio

Stephanie Wilson, NASA Astronaut

Quick Start Guide

Readings

Tim Madigan, “The Serial Rapist is Not Who You Think”

Eric Wills, “Hot for Creature”

Talk About This

Try This Out

Explore This

Write This

7. Reviews

At-A-Glance: Reviews

One Student’s Work: Christina Lieffring, “BBJ Lawnside Blues & BBQ”

Inventing Your Review’s Content

Inquiring: Discovering Common Expectations

Researching: Gathering Background Information

Answer the Five-W and How Questions

Locate Other Reviews of Your Subject

Interview or Survey Others

Prepare to Do Field Observations

Researching: Go Experience It

Organizing and Drafting Your Review

The Introduction

Identify Your Topic and Offer Background Information

State Your Purpose

State Your Main Point or Thesis

Description or Summary of the Subject

Chronological Description or Summary

Feature-by-Feature Description

Discussion of Strengths and Shortcomings

Conclusion

Choosing an Appropriate Style

Use Plenty of Detail

Set the Appropriate Tone

Changing the Pace

Designing Your Review

Choose the Appropriate Medium

Add Photographs, Audio, or Video Clips

Revising and Editing Your Review

Determine Whether Your Opinion Has Evolved

Review Your Expectations

Improve Your Tone

Edit and Proofread

Microgenre: The Rave

Haley Frederick, “Hunger Games: Catching Fire Review”

Quick Start Guide

Readings

Christy Lemire, “The Lego Movie”

Andy Greenwald, “Sherlock: Resurrection”

Talk About This

Try This Out

Explore This

Write This

8. Literary Analyses

At-A-Glance: Literary Analyses

One Student’s Work: STUDENT NAME AND TITLE OF PIECE--TK

Inventing Your Literary Analysis’s Content

Read, Reread, Explore

Inquiring: What’s Interesting Here?

Explore the Genre

Explore the Complication or Conflict

Explore the Plot

Explore the Characters

Explore the Setting

Explore the Language and Tone

Researching: What Background Do You Need?

Research the Author

Research the Historical Setting

Research the Science

Organizing and Drafting Your Literary Analysis

The Introduction: Establish Your Interpretive Question

Include Background Information That Leads To Your Interpretive Question

State Your Interpretative Question Prominently and Clearly

Place Your Thesis at or Near the End of the Introduction

The Body: Summarize, Interpret, Support

Summarize and Describe Key Aspects of the Work

Build Your Case, Step by Step

Cite and Quote the Text to Back Up and Illustrate Your Points

Include Outside Support, Where Appropriate

The Conclusion: Restate Your Thesis

Choosing an Appropriate Style

Use the “Literary Present” Tense

Integrate Quoted Text

When You Quote, Tell Readers What You Want Them to Notice

Move Beyond Personal Response

Cast Interpretations as Speculative

Designing Your Literary Analysis

Revising and Editing Your Literary Analysis

Make Sure the Interpretative Question and Its Importance Are Clearly Stated

Check Your Main Claim, or What Your Interpretation Reveals About the Work